Strasbourg, 19/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - During the Summit in Rome with Russia, the EU delegation made "explicit" reference to developments in Chechnya, and President Putin invited "European representatives" to make a visit to that country, it was affirmed by Secretary of State Roberto Antonione on Wednesday in Parliament during a debate mainly requested by Socialists after the spontaneous declarations on Chechen problems made by Silvio Berlusconi to the press after the summit (EUROPE of 11 November, p;5). In Rome, we expressed our solidarity with Russia in the fight against terrorism, Mr Antonione added, saying that the fact that Chechnya is not mentioned in the final declaration is the "result of mediation". As far as the fear that EU enlargement will have a negative impact on Russia, Mr Antonione said Mr Putin had expressed these fears "from a tactical viewpoint". Mr Antonione welcomed the concrete results of the summit. He hoped that these results would allow the Permanent Partnership Council to be launched as soon as possible. Commissioner Günter Verheugen, too, recognised that the summit had been more constructive than in the past, as there had hitherto been "too many plans for action but no action, a number of visions but nothing practical". The summit also revealed the "complexity" of relations, he admitted. On the subject of Chechnya, he recalled that the Commission had mentioned in Rome the problem of humanitarian aid. He deplored the fact that: "We are the main donors, and we should like to have our men on the ground, but access is still denied". The Commissioner also recalled the declarations of the EU which denounce electoral fraud and a situation that has grown worse on the ground after the recent electoral consultations in Chechnya. At a more general level, he insisted that "a selective choice of themes" based on what a party wants does not correspond to "real strategic partnership". He considered that ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by Moscow was "realistic", although there is no "formal link" between the two, and that it is progressing more or less in parallel to Russia's accession to the WTO.
Strategic alliance with Russia is essential for peace, but there can be no freedom if people are afraid. It is therefore necessary to call for more democracy, the president of the EPP-ED Group, Hans-Gert Pöttering, said. There is the "open wound" of Chechnya, whose population must no longer be described as terrorists or bandits. Mr Pöttering admitted that it is inadmissible for major issues officially discussed not to appear in official documents after meetings with a Union discussion partner. When one speaks with the Russian president on such issues, he said, there should be agreement on wording. He implicitly criticised Silvio Berlusconi but did not mention him by name. On the other hand, the president of the Liberal Group, Graham Watson, deplored the fact that "ill considered" comments had been made by Silvio Berlusconi. The president of the European Council should choose his words carefully instead of contradicting texts adopted by the Union, the British Liberal Democrat insisted.
It's difficult to criticise friends, admitted the co-president of the Greens/EFA group Daniel Cohn-Bendit, admitting the ill feeling experience when seeing his Minister (Green) for Foreign Affairs fraternise with Putin in order to have his support over the Iraq affair. But being conciliatory with Russia is of no use: unless the President of the European Council says that the Chechen problem does not exist, the damage is done and it is lasting whatever is said afterwards, exclaimed Cohn-Bendit he declared that they did not believe Putin when he was moralising over Iraq. He did not believe a word he is "instrumentalising" in order to establish his power which is total power. Several parliamentarians took a similar tone: Reino Paasilinna (PES) Sylviane Ainardi (GUE/NGL), Bastiaan Belder (EDD), Olivier Dupuis (Lista Bonino) Bernd Posselt (CSU), for whom in Chechnya it is resistance and not terrorism. Silvio Berlusconi had his supporters: Mario Borghezio from the Northern League who said that the former's ideas reflected a "healthy realism" and Antonio Tajani from Forza Italia. Who said that he did not recognise himself in the passages of the EPP resolution (which he supported) that criticises these ideas. He considered that Berlusconi had been misunderstood or misinterpreted.